Irrigated Land Near Lake Assad, Syria

Lake Assad (dark blue, upper left quadrant) is a reservoir on the Euphrates River in Ar-Raqqah Governorate, Syria. It was created in 1974 when the Tabqa Dam was closed.

Lake Assad is Syria’s largest lake with a maximum capacity of 11.7 cubic kilometres (2.8 cu mi) and a maximum surface area of 610 square kilometres (240 sq mi).

A vast network of canals uses water from Lake Assad to irrigate lands on both sides of the Euphrates. Such lands appear greenish in this image (open full image for better detail) despite the surrounding arid terrain.